A Mason County Teacher is the Kentucky winner of the first ever Sanford Teacher Award.

Kerri Stanfield, a teacher at Mason County Middle School, was recently awarded the Sanford Teacher Award in Kentucky. She is one of 51 teachers in the country to receive it.

The National University System began offering the award this year to teachers across the nation who are inspiring to their students.

“The award honors teachers for inspiring teaching, which to me means recognizing each student as an individual, building a relationship with each student, and recognizing how each student is motivated and how they learn best,” Stanfield said. “Each state, plus the District of Columbia, has one winner, and there will be a national winner in 2019.”

Stanfield said she was surprised to find out she had received the award.

“I was absolutely shocked when I found out I won the award. A few months ago I found out I was nominated and they sent me a packet to complete, but once I finished it, I never had another thought about it,” she said. “On Nov. 26, I received an email that I was indeed the winner for Kentucky. I thought that someone was playing a joke on me, especially when it got to the cash award.”

The cash award was for $10,000, according to Stanfield.

“I was just so honored. In the words of my teenage daughter, I ‘was shook’ for the rest of the night,” she said. “With all the craziness of our Amazing Shake competition going on, I don’t think I’ve really even had time to process how I feel yet. We don’t teach for awards and recognition, we do it for our students. So to be honored in this way is very special and a blessing.”

Stanfield has been a teacher in Mason County for 10 years. She graduated from Mason County High School in 1996 before attending Maysville Community and Technical College, where she took general education courses.

“I attended Maysville Community College and took general education classes, but never really could decide what I wanted to be when I grew up. It wasn’t until later, as my own children were entering school and I was doing more and more volunteer work at Straub Elementary, that I realized education was indeed my calling,” she said.

Stanfield received her bachelor’s degree in elementary and middle education from Midway College and her master’s degree in literacy specialist from the University of the Cumberlands.

“This year is my 10th year of teaching, and all my years have been at Mason County,” she said.

Stanfield will be now be considered for the national Sanford award, which comes with a $50,000 prize.

Kerri Stanfield is one of the first-ever recipients of the Sanford teaching award. Stanfield is pictured in her classroom at the Mason County Middle School.
https://maysville-online.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/web1_120118-news-standfield.jpgKerri Stanfield is one of the first-ever recipients of the Sanford teaching award. Stanfield is pictured in her classroom at the Mason County Middle School.

Christy Howell-Hoots

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